Captain

(For Tor's own web site, visit www.tor.cc)

Captain Tor Pinney ~ Chronological Resume

• U.S. Coast Guard licensed U.S. Merchant Marine Officer, Master (since 1978).

• Thirty-five or forty years aboard sail and power boats, maybe more depending on where you start counting.

• Over 125,000 nautical miles logged under sail.

• 1973-78: Liveaboard owner/captain of two cruising sailboats. Double- and single-handed the Florida Keys with the steel gaff-rigged sloop, "Thumper", and the Bahamas aboard the gaff-rigged ketch, "Autant", a very traditional, engineless, 1927 William Hand designed 40-footer.

• 1978-80: Full time charter & delivery captain throughout the Caribbean. Multiple bluewater yacht deliveries, incl. Panama Canal transit, south to north, and San Francisco Bay demo sails.

• 1980-81: 1st U.S. factory rep for Cabo Rico Yachts. Established that sailboat builder's original U.S. dealership network.

• 1981-82: Owner of the steel Sparkman & Stevens yawl, "Buccaneer". Cruised her 10,000 mi. between the Chesapeake and the West Indies. Did more yacht deliveries, ranging between New England and Trinidad. Then served as captain of the first Morgan 60 Schooner, "Paradigm", 9 mo./9,000 mi., including the 1982 fall East Coast boat show series, and subsequent Caribbean charter work.

• 1983-87: Founder/President of Cruising Yachts Inc., a Fort Lauderdale/Miami-based yacht sales company, first southeastern U.S. regional dealer for Pacific Seacraft Corporation's cruising sailboats. Owned and lived aboard the Crealock 37 yawl, "Kerry".

• 1988-89: Created and executed Pacific Seacraft's "Circumnavigator" equipment and systems promotion & marketing campaign, sailing own Crealock 37 cutter, Sparrow, to 8 major East Coast boat shows, Miami to Maine and back. Then took off cruising. Single-handed from Boston to Venezuela via the West Indies.

• 1990-93: Cruised extensively: Los Roques-Curacao-Honduras-Guatemala-Belize-Florida, Trans-Atlantic via Bermuda/Azores/Lisbon, Spain, Gibraltar, the Balearics, Sardinia, Sicily, the Greek Islands and Turkey. Backtracked through the Mediterranean via Tunisia & Gibraltar, then to the Canary Islands-West Indies-Bahamas-Florida. About half of that was sailed single-handed. 

• 1994-1996: Founder/President of American Cruise Lines and Maritime Services, Inc. Bought the 177-passenger, steel double-decker ferryboat, Tecumseh, in Ontario, Canada and drove her (with one crewman and a dog) 2,000 nautical miles to Florida via Lake Erie, the Erie Canal, the Hudson River and the ICW. Converted the vessel into a tourist excursion boat named "Rumrunner Key." Operated as owner and relief captain in Key West, FL.

• 1997-1998: Land cruising in an RV, traveling & living in the northwestern United States, in the mountains and forests where there aren't any boats. Cruised about 25,000 miles in 8 months.

• 1999-2003: Founder/ President of Anchor Yacht & Ship Sales,  worldwide dealer for Valiant Yachts and Internet-focused international yacht & ship brokerage and dealership.

• 2004-2006: Traveling, writing and photographing. US, British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska, Manhattan, Tahiti, Moorea, New Zealand, Thailand, Bali, Ecuador.

• 2007-2008: Refitting the Pearson 424 ketch, Silver Heels, in preparation for goin' cruising again. 

• 2009-2010: Cruising aboard Silver Heels - Florida to Beaufort, NC. Offshore to St. Maarten in the northeastern Caribbean. Sailed the Leeward and Windward Islands to Grenada, then west via Curacao to Cartagena, Colombia.

• Author: Dozens of articles published in US, UK,  Australian and New Zealand boating magazines such as Cruising World, Sail, Yachting, Ocean Navigator, Motorboat & Yachting, Yachting World, Cruising Helmsman and many others since 1979. Wrote the books, "Ready for Sea! - How to Outfit the Modern Cruising Sailboat" and "The Best Positive Thinking Book."

• Navigation: Celestial, Sat Nav, GPS, Radar, RDF, DR.

• Education: American Nautical Services School. Syracuse University, Pace University, YMCA Senior Life Saving, PADI Open Water SCUBA Certification, CPR.

• Languages: English, Spanish, plus scraps of Italian, French, Turkish, Thai & Piahroa Indian.

• Interests: Writing, travel, sales & marketing, most water and mountain sports, yacht renovation. Professional performing musician. Dog lover.

• Specifications: White male, U.S. Passport, single, non-smoker, 49 years and holding, healthy & fit.

• Exceptional organizational and management skills. 
  Excellent personal and business references on request.

• Autobiography